Galatians 6:4-5 – “Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load.”
Right from a young age, we’ve been compared to our siblings, our classmates, and our friends. At some point in life, you would have experienced the pressure to be like someone else who studied better, was more responsible, who came first in sports, or just behaved better. It’s no wonder that even as we grow up, we have the tendency to compare ourselves with others who are earning more, have a better family life, own the latest gadgets or travel abroad.
There is nothing wrong with healthy competition, but comparison becomes harmful when we allow negative feelings of envy and jealousy to creep into our hearts. In the verses above, Paul urges the Galatians to test their own actions without comparing themselves to others. If you have to compare, compare yourself with who you were a year ago, a month ago, a week ago…
Each of us have our own unique life circumstances. We cannot compare our current season of life, with someone who may be in a different season altogether. But what we can do is compare ourselves with who we were in the past. Take a few minutes to think about who you were a year back. How have you grown over the past year? What challenges have you overcome? Which goals have you achieved? When you look at how much God has worked in you, you will realize how far you have come by His grace… and you will give Him all the glory.
